Coronavirus: Celebrating Diwali in India

In India virus cases are rising as Hindus prepare to celebrate Diwali this weekend. We hear from one family about how they are marking the festival during the pandemic. And we speak to a health reporter in the capital Delhi where the highest daily number of cases was reported this week, as a spell of heavy smog in the city raises fears of further risks for Covid-19 patients.

Also, Sweden has seen a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with thousands of infections being reported every day. The government has again decided against a lockdown and is instead taking local measures. So does this approach work? We hear two different views on how the outbreak has been handled in the country from people who live there.

And we go to Russia and speak to our correspondent Sarah Rainsford who has been reporting from the country’s poorer provinces who are struggling to cope with the coronavirus outbreak, as the infection rate in the country surges again.

(Photo: Indian vendors sell decorative items in the market on the eve of the Diwali festival in Jammu, India. Credit: JAIPAL SINGH/EPA)